15 Shadiest In-Game Moments

Reality is, athletes sometimes cheat in order to gain a competitive advantage—there's a reason why steroids swept baseball for a period of time.

Off the field of play, cheating has become commonplace. But what about those who look to get away with it during actual live-game situations?

That daring type of shadiness shows no boundaries. We've seen NBA players use stickum, baseball players use corked bats and hockey players illegally transform the trajectory of their sticks, all looking to acquire some sort of edge.

Jumping back and analyzing the shady side of sports history, 15 moments really stood out. Let's find out which acts of horribleness made the cut.

Bobby Valentine's Disguise

Bobby Valentine's infectious personality was part of the New York Mets for six years. Perhaps the crowning jewel of Valentine's time in New York was when he subtly returned to the Mets' dugout in disguise after being ejected from the game.

You can watch the entire clip above. Even today, it's a beautiful, menacing sight to reflect on. Long live Bobby Valentine's Mets.

Tony Romo Moves the Football

Tony Romo tends to do a lot of things right. He's won 78 games as the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback, passing for 34,154 yards and 247 touchdowns along the way.

The Cowboys signal-caller is also privy when it comes to illegally moving the chains. Against the Minnesota Vikings in 2013, Romo attempted to force a first down. The only problem is, it turned out to be one of the worst in-game adjustments a quarterback's ever made.

In no way, shape or form did it come close to fooling the official. Better luck next time, Romo.

Michael Pineda and His Pine Tar

New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was suspended 10 games in 2014 for the illegal use of pine tar.

The craziest part about this act of shadiness is the Yankees ace didn't even try to hide it. He just swabbed on a hunk of pine tar onto the side of his neck like it was some sort of aftershave.

When the umpire picked up on it, he immediately ejected Pineda.

Blatant disrespect for the rules of the game never goes over well. Pineda learned that the hard way.

Marty McSorley's Illegal Stick

The Los Angeles Kings' quest to win the 1993 Stanley Cup took a turn for the worse when Marty McSorley was challenged for having an illegal stick in Game 2 of the series.

The Canadiens' coaching staff called out an extended curve on his blade. The refs at the time determined McSorley's stick was in fact illegal. That resulted in a penalty that allowed the Canadiens to tie, and eventually win, the game.

Fans in Los Angeles wouldn't see their beloved Kings hoist the Cup until 2012. Even today, the McSorley stick incident lingers on in Kings history.

Dwight Howard's Use of Stickum

Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap noticed something different about the texture of the basketball he was handling. Lining up for a routine free throw in the first quarter of a game versus the Houston Rockets, he passed the rock off to the referees for inspection.

The substance on it was courtesy of Dwight Howard. It was stickum, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

It was shady, but in a weird way. Stickum is usually reserved for NFL athletes. You don't hear about it much in pro hoops.

Though it is illegal to use, the NBA wound up letting Howard off the hook without a fine or suspension, as Shams Charania of The Vertical first noted.

Let's chalk it up as another bizarre chapter in Howard's NBA legacy.

Danny Almonte

CHRIS GARDNER/Associated Press

The saga of Danny Almonte rocked the Little League World Series in 2001.

Almonte stole headlines that year, becoming a paramount pitching force for an unknown team out of the Bronx. He sent 46 batters home by way of strikeout in three games, as ESPN's Dan Le Batard wrote back in 2013.

The issue surrounding Almonte was that he turned out to be 14 years old. That's two years past the qualifying age athletes need to be in order to participate in the Little League World Series.

A cheating scandal ensued. That scandal turned Almonte from a hero to a rogue agent.

ESPN's 30 for 30 series did a piece on Almonte, explaining his side of the story. In the end, it doesn't matter who you believe. This was a dark moment in sports that became national news in the process.

Sammy Sosa's Corked Bat

A routine 2003 game against the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays turned into a huge controversy for Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa.

The longtime home run king ripped a routine ball into play, shattering his bat in the process. What appeared to be a groundout turned into something a lot more sinister.

Sosa's bat was corked. "I turned the bat over, and there was a half-dollar size piece of cork in the bat right about halfway down the barrel head," umpire Tim McClelland said, per Rick Weinberg who was writing for ESPN at the time.

The Cubs slugger claimed it was an honest misunderstanding. He claimed he used a corked bat for batting practice sessions to entertain the fans and grabbed that one by accident.

Doesn't matter what he told the world. This moment more than qualifies for the in-game shadiness category.

Ron Artest Pulls Down Paul Pierce's Shorts

Metta World Peace—formerly known as Ron Artest—has been branded a "dirty player," as well as a defensive stalwart. It's cool, though, that was always part of his charm.

When he was with the Indiana Pacers, World Peace was all about shady tactics. Paul Pierce—playing with the Boston Celtics at that juncture—learned that the hard way.

World Peace decided it would be a good idea to pull down Pierce's shorts while guarding him. The offense didn't have much effect—World Peace got away with his "creative" defensive strategy—but the whole ideology behind the act remained dubious.

This was what World Peace did best: frustrate opponents on defense by any means necessary.

Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' Goal

The 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals game was marred by controversy. In a battle against England, Diego Maradona of Argentina scored the most infamous goal of his career.

At first glance, it looked like Maradona used his head to poke a deflected ball past the goalkeeper. Argentina celebrated, while England screamed for a handball. Soccer 101, right?

When the replay was brought to a crawl, you could see that England had a right to complain. Maradona actually used his hand to tap the ball in.

The refs missed the call, and that along with another dazzling score by Maradona led to Argentina advancing. Forever remembered as the "Hand of God" goal, this was a controversial—but clever—way to move on in the tournament.

The Drama Surrounding Albert Belle's Corked Bat

ERIC DRAPER/Associated Press

If you thought Sammy Sosa was the original king of the corked bat, you're sadly mistaken. Does anyone out there remember Albert Belle?

Belle's cheating ways were exposed during a divisional showdown with the Chicago White Sox. Jonathan Lehman of the New York Daily News explained the situation dubbing it "Mission: Impossible."

Lehman told the story of how Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Jason Grimsley inched across the clubhouse ceiling so that he could drop into the umpire's quarters and swap out the corked bat Belle just had confiscated. But as Lehman further noted, "The ruse was eventually discovered, and Belle was suspended for seven games."

Shadiness, no matter how amazing the story behind it can be, rarely goes unpunished.

Deflategate

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Nothing good comes from the term Deflategate. Referencing the New England Patriots' alleged deflating of footballs, this "scandal" rocked the NFL amid the 2014 NFL playoffs.

Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari covered a timeline of the events. His extensive outline of Deflategate may give you a headache, but it's an essential read.

The entire situation plays out like a spy movie. It's a bizarre incident that continues to make headlines, with many scientists pointing to Ideal Gas Law as the real culprit. Whether the shadiness stemmed from the Pats or a law of nature, it's sure to follow Tom Brady for the rest of his career.

Kent Hrbek Pulls Ron Gant off the Bag

Game 2 of the 1991 World Series was going along smoothly until Atlanta Braves outfielder Ron Gant stepped up to the plate. A New York Times article by Claire Smith at the time described the chaos that ensued after Gant gapped one into the outfield.

As Gant was rounding first base, he was forced to turn back when the Minnesota Twins pitcher cut off the throw. Gant retreated to the bag, but somehow he was forced off it by first baseman Kent Hrbek, resulting in an out.

Smith explained what actually transpired during the chaos. "For good measure, Hrbek, who outweighs Gant, 253 pounds to 172, wrapped his arm around Gant's leg. And, in what appeared to be a pretty nifty move—for wrestling—Hrbek seemed to lift Gant's leg right off the bag as the Braves' center fielder fought to keep his balance."

Hrbek's cheating antics remain a highlight of the '91 World Series.

The Marathon Imposter

Are you looking for one sure way to win a marathon? How does sneaking in from the crowd during the final stretch of the race when everyone else is gassed and going for gusto sound?

That's exactly what an imposter marathon runner did at the Stanchart Nairobi Marathon. The footage you'll see above of the incident is mind-blowing. This dude had the entire world fooled until after he crossed the finish line.

It's shady, deceitful moves like that no one ever forgets.

Joe Niekro Alters a Baseball with a Nail File

We've seen pine tar used to alter the surface of a baseball before, but a nail file? Who does that?

In 1987, Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Niekro was caught using one to change the dynamics of his knuckleball against the Angels. After the Halos complained, the ump took action.

It's amazing to see Niekro casually fling the nail file out of his back pocket with the hopes no one would catch him in the act. You can enjoy the clip in its entirety above. It remains must-see TV.

Chicago 'Black Sox' Scandal

KATHY WILLENS/Associated Press

Perhaps the greatest act of in-game shadiness to ever go down occurred during the 1919 World Series.

A group of players on the Chicago White Sox—eventually dubbed the Black Sox after this ordeal—conspired to throw the World Series.

Baseball-Reference.com's analysis of this monumental event explained how this incident changed the game forever: "This betting conspiracy between a group of players and gamblers led to the permanent banning of eight players from the White Sox baseball, the introduction of the post of commissioner and strict rules prohibiting gambling that live on to this day."

The controversy and in-game shadiness lasted eight games before the White Sox finally dropped the series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Nothing to this day has matched the sheer audacity and crass of the infamous Black Sox scandal.

All stats and information via Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.